Spine Archive: Central Cord Syndrome

CCS or Central Cord Syndrome is a severe spinal injury in which the upper extremities (most frequently) have become impaired to movement. CCS can also lead to improper bladder function and some sensory loss below the location of the target injury. While CCS has been primarily known to affect the elderly, it can also occur from bodily injuries in younger patients.

Syndromes like Central Cord Syndrome can be found here, in Dr. Anthony Leone’s Knowledge Center.

The most common of the incomplete syndromes is central cord syndrome, which is characterized by motor weakness of the upper extremities greater than the lower extremities, in association with spinal sparing. Central cord syndrome most frequently occurs in older patients with cervical spondylosis and a hyperextension injury, but can occur in any age group or with any mechanism. The mechanism of injury involves compression of the cord during hyperextension, caused by an inward bulging of the ligamentum flavum on an already narrowed canal.¹